Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool head into the EFL Cup fourth round match-up at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday evening with two encounters within a week as they meet again in the league over the weekend. This makes their upcoming tie all the more interesting.
Match Preview
Liverpool opened the defense of their EFL Cup crown in round three with a convincing 5-1 win over West Ham United, showing real pedigree as defending champions. In the meanwhile, Arne Slot’s team are on a streak where they haven’t lost a single EFL Cup match since December 2022. Although the 100% away record this season was broken with a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League, the fact that Liverpool had to come back from a goal down twice showed resilience.
The Reds sit second in the Premier League, a solitary point behind league toppers Manchester City. They will certainly want to keep their winning run going in the EFL Cup, although they have been knocked out in the fourth round consistently before eventually lifting the trophy in previous seasons.
On the other hand, Brighton had a highly entertaining but underwhelming result in the Premier League last weekend, coming back from a goal down to record a 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Although they were two-nil up through Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson, they allowed two late goals, including one in stoppage time, to force the fans into a frustrated mood. Still, Brighton won 3-2 against Wolves in the previous round to reach the fourth round for a fourth time in five years. Brighton last won a fourth-round tie in the 1978-79 season, and coming off an excellent home record against Liverpool, the Seagulls would aim to rewrite history on Wednesday.
Team News
Injuries continue to hurt Liverpool, as Harvey Elliott foot, Alisson Becker hamstring, Diogo Jota abdominal have been ruled out, while Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley are doubtful for the clash. Slot might well opt to employ a mix of his usual starters with a few fresh faces. To this effect, the side are likely to see Joe Gomez come into the right-back position while Wataru Endo and Jarell Quansah have rare starts. Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo could join the fold again after missing out on the full 90 minutes in the London Stadium against Arsenal.
For Brighton, though, this is a fillip, but the team has a load of absences. Leeds loanee Georginio Rutter is ineligible for the EFL Cup, while Joao Pedro, Solly March, Yankuba Minteh, Matt O’Riley, Adam Webster and former Liverpool man James Milner are all out of action with various injuries. Captain Lewis Dunk and Jack Hinshelwood are also doubtful after picking up minor problems in recent days.
Predicted Lineups
Brighton & Hove Albion:
Steele; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Igor, Estupinan; Adingra, Baleba, Wieffer, Mitoma; Enciso, Ferguson
Liverpool:
Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nunez
Prediction
While Brighton have a good record at home, Liverpool away form is excellent under Slot. There should be a good battle on the cards but the reigning champions could nick it 1-2 Brighton-Liverpool.
Who will win Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash between Brighton and Liverpool?
